Issue 2 2019 by Oshkosh Index

The Oshkosh West

INDEX 2

Trumpian Tweet destabilizes US foreign policy - was it the right call?

Page 2 3-5

news

Students, staff, administration reflect on perceptions of student fights, conflicts, social media.

Page 3 6-7

Community Cemetery Tales: Museum takes macabre turn by unearthing historic skeletons

Page 6 spread

8-9

Human trafficking carves diabolical pathway leading to oblivion

Page 8-9 10-11

Sports

Johanknecht verbally volleys a commitment in taking flight to UW Green Bay

Page 11 Entertainment 12-13 Area 51. The meme, the myth, the disappointment

Page 13 Features

14-16

School pride lands on endangered list as rallies provide life support.

Page 16

Scan to visit the new and improved Index website www.oshkoshwestindex.org

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www.oshkoshwestindex.org Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

Hau nted House t ranslates fear into family

This Issue: opinion

“Your source for Wildcat news”

“By t he pr ick i ng of my teachers alike have greatly antici- ward to his own special part. tedious and time consuming. “You start off with having thumbs, something wicked this pated and enjoyed the house and “I pass out candy to kids in meetings with the Leadership way comes....” With the f irst its scares, much to Polak’s delight. line,” he said. “It’s cool, and I get classes, Global Academy, just to winds of chilly fall weather comes “It has been such a super to see a lot of people. We say hi, get some genthe thrill of a rapidly approaching positive response, e r al ide a s ,” Halloween, and the West student and it’s fantastic that Pol a k s a i d . body has embraced the spooky so ma ny st udents “Once we spirit. With only a few view- want to help at some have those worthy horror films being re- sor t of capacit y,” ideas brainleased any time soon, it’s obvious she said. “I’m getstor med, we that haunted houses of all kinds t i ng e m a i l s f rom have to f ind will draw plenty of attendees. various teachers of our resources, S o p h o m o r e a n d h o r - students that have such as ou r ror enthusiast Mason Freund open study halls and cardboard, thinks haunted houses are the wa n na help ma ke our paint, and best way to step into the spirit. something, or bring candy. Then “I think they get you all hyped in supplies, or just we h ave t o up for Halloween,” he said. “Hal- work with our stuwork r e a l ly loween is all about being scared, dents just to paint or hard to creand there’s no better way to be help with anything.” ate a map scared than a haunted house.” Student involveto execute Freu nd, like many other ment is crucial in the these ideas teenagers in the Fox Valley, Haunted House, esand make r e c om me nd s Bu r ia l C h a m - pecially to students them come to b e r s f o r t h e b e s t t h r i l l s . with disabilities who life. It’s a lot “Burial Chambers is the best take part in the house. photo by Stephanie Polak of work, we in Wisconsin,” he said. “There “It’s so imporCurrent seniors Rachel Lee and Kailey Freund pose for a picture next to former senior Anna are three houses, and one is out- tant for my students Maurer at West’s 2018 Haunted House. The trio prepared to spook the student body as they usually spend about a month side. Insanity, one of the indoor to get involved with entered the terrifying scene. creating houses, is scary because it’s re- peers because it’s things for the Haunted House.” ally loud and colorful and like such an important social piece; it we say goodbye, and then that’s The preparation also gives a carnival on crack. The clowns helps with overall communication it. This is my last year though, bespecial needs students valuable really scare me. They’re creepy skills, social skills, and just to cause it’s my senior year, and then and, especially with I’m done. experiences that they can apply the IT movies comEve r yo n e to situations outside of class. “Leadership skills are a big ing out recently, it else doe s thing the preparation teaches,” really gets me. The a good job Polak said. “It also teaches comactors do a really of bei ng munication skills, because you good job of staysca r y.” have to communicate what you ing in character.” J u need done and where you need A great way to nior Ryan help. It teaches listening skills; I get scares within the M o o n , could ask a student to paint somecomforts of West is howeve r, thing and they need to make sure the haunted house gets his they can execute that. Another big put on by the Leadchance at one is problem-solving skills; if ership, Special Eduscaring we have to paint a tree, we have cation, and Global the student Academy classes. b o d y o f to do that on cardboard, so we “T he hau nted West from have to figure out how to do that.” Students are obviously very house just started inside the appreciative of the opportunity as more of a school walls of photo courtesy of Emma Carpenter the Haunted House gives them. community project, Senior Emma Carpenter and West alumni Brianna Carder get up close and personal for a the haunt“I get to be with my friends,” as a way to develop ghoulish good time. The girls visited Neenah’s Burial Chambers in 2019. ed house. Hall said. “I get to see people that creativity, work on “I’m are a part of my grade and all coming up with new ideas, and have a peer mentor is such a huge going to dress up like an elf this that stuff. I work with everyone collaborate with Leadership to put factor in their lives,” Polak said. year,” he said. “I’m just there to make things; it’s really fun.” out a product for others to enjoy,” T h i s y e a r w i l l b e t h e for fun, and I go in the haunted Mo on h i m sel f i s awa re Special house and of how welcoming the haunted Education scare evteacher e r y b o d y. hou se is to t hose i nvolved. “You can dress up in cosStephanie I’m going tumes and anything, you can Polak said. t o go i n build whatever you want, you “It started a little can be with people you like, w it h ju st house this and even put up some skeletons students yea r a nd and what you want,” he said. w it h d isscare evOverall, Polak acknowledges abilities, e r y b o d y. then it We h ave the hard work and dedication m o v e d skeletons, that it takes to run a Haunted onto really s c a r y House. She knows it takes a vilcollaboratg h o s t s , lage to scare the student body. “I really think my students ing with and even like the whole process, and it’s peer menDracula.” neat to see the peer mentors intertors f rom A l act with students with disabilities Lea derthough and see how they can really come s h i p f rom t he together and work together and classes, perspecmake one huge production,” she and then tive of said. “You have the Art Departfrom there, W e s t photo by Rachel Lee ment who works with us, we work we really West graduate Mady Anderson and seniors Kailey Freund and Destiny Portman prepare for frightened stu- t h r i l l with adapted PE and Mrs. Pakula, s t a r t e d dents to exit the West haunted house. The group passed out candy to soften the horror that waited inside. s e e k e r s and then Leadership and Global, p a r t ne rt h e and it’s really cool to see everyone ing up with the Global Academy fourth year of participating in h a u n t e d h o u s e m a y s e e m to have this wonderful event.” the haunted house for senior fa i rly si mple, t he a r r a nge - come together for this one event.” Over the years, students and Jorian Hall, and he looks for- ment and construction is very by Kailey Freund

October 28, 2019

Opinion

Volume 116, Issue 2

Ten second editorials...

Thumbs up What is the Ultimate Hype-up song?

“Songs from the 2000’s from Eminem or Usher are the best.” -freshman Corinn Lichtwald

“‘BOP’ by DaBaby because it’s turnt for pre-baseball games.” -sophomore Mason Freund

Thumbs down

...To Kylie Jenner’s “Rise and Shine”! Nothing like a great wake up from the entrepreneur herself, and the singing really adds to her existing talent as well as her wonderful parenting skills. ...To pumpkin cinnamon rolls! Okay, this is one of the best ways to incorporate pumpkin from this season into a classic like cinnamon rolls. ...To coffee! The best invention man ever created, the only reason that mornings are less dreadful and the days go faster. Just increases the mood of everyone who indulges. ...To you ng love! W ho doesn’t appreciate puppy love? Unless you’re single and stuck watching people suck each other’s faces in the hallways. ...To Homecoming! The fun experience of dancing and talking to people you may never see again, and this year, the exercise of student music opinion. ...To soup! On a cold day, nothing is better than hot soup. It’s fantastic, and it’s delicious.

...To the cold going around West! Nothing like going to class and hearing half the student body sniffle all hour long, and the misery that it brings to everyone. ...To Jostens and ordering deadlines! Every senior really appreciates only having three days to fill out our cap and gown order forms. ...To slow walkers! For interrupting the flow of traffic of every person who actually needs to get across the building in a timely manner. ...To immature high schoolers! Those who can’t solve their own problems and bring others down in the pettiest of ways. It’s time to grow up! ...To the snow! It should not be snowing in October! It’s already cold in Wisconsin for half the year, we do not need it any time soon. ...To candy corn! The most pointless of all candies, it tastes like nothing. The only interesting fact about it is that you can stack them to look like corn, then throw it in the trash.

The Oshkosh West “‘OFF THE RIP’ by DaBaby because the bass in Echo’s car makes it bounce.” -junior Audrey Carrick

INDEX

Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Established in 1903 Volume 116, Issue 2

General Adviser: Trent Scott

“Tough one, I’d say Camelot by NLE Choppa.” -senior Vaughn Kerrigan

“‘Woman’ by Ke$ha, the clean version of course.” -English Teacher Ms. Huettl

Editor-in-Chief: Aspen Oblewski Editors: Zade Alzoubi (Sports) Keerthana Ambati (Features) Sophie Burke (News) Belle Cartwright (Photography) Abby Eaton (Features) Olivia Everett (Copy) Kailey Freund (Entertainment) Izzy Gabavics (Opinion) Akashraj Karthikeyan (Spread) Allison Kelly (Web) Joe Mayo (Sports) Katie Miller (Video) Ainsley Moore (Web) Jensen Muza (Video) Emma Olson (Community) Hannah Olson (Graphic Magic) Cora Pizon (Web)

Jack Rowe (Ads & Business) Javit Thao (News) Grace Weber (Production) Abe Weston (Photography) Hunter Willis (Web) Writers: Jessica Berray, Drew Best, Adina Beyer, Hannah Chung, Zach Eaton, Trinity Funnell, Abigail Furcy, Caitlynn Geh, Ellie Nessman, Evan Oblewski, Dexter Plier, Bailey Staerkel Photographers: Maria Jerebek, Pyper Rouse Cartoonist: Dexter Plier Mascot: Mulligan and Chonk and Zuul Non-Profit Organization Oshkosh Area Schools P.O. Box 3048 Oshkosh, WI 54902 October 28, 2019 Issue #2

The purpose of the Oshkosh West Index is to educate, inform, and entertain through eight publications each year. The paper will provide a forum for students’ ideas and opinions. All letters must be signed. Index editors reserve the right to edit all letters for reason of space, clarity, or libel. All letters express the opinion of their authors and not necessarily that of the Index staff. Drop off all letters in E25, direct them to www.oshkoshwestindex.org, or mail them to Index, Oshkosh West High School, 375 N. Eagle Street, Oshkosh WI 54902. Index accepts advertisements from businesses, faculty, or students, thus creating a market for saleable goods.

Is Trump making the right choice?

“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce” (Karl Marx). While I am a proud conservative, Trump’s recent actions against Syria have made me question whether the man in office is making the best choices for Americans. The recent extraction of American troops on the northern Syrian border is another topic that has hit front pages and has Americans questioning Trump’s leadership. Did he make the right choice? To understand this situation, we have to go back to the history of the Kurdish people. “The Kurds are one of the indigenous peoples of the Mesopotamian plains…in what [is] now south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran, and south-western Armenia” (Who Are the Kurds, BBC News). The Kurds helped the United States in the fight against ISIS, as “The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) served as the U.S.’s ground troops in the five-year war against ISIS, and some 11,000 of their numbers were killed in the fight” (What the world is saying about Trump’s Syria pullout, The Week). When dealing with the help that the Kurds provided for America, it’s no wonder that the U.S. offered them help. After the Turks tried to force the Kurds out of their land, they were forced to deal with Turkish administration threatening the lives of the people over territory. The shocking twist of Trump pulling out of the situation and leaving the Kurds high and dry is not the largest focus, it is the aftermath and backlash from the people and media. All this is making the Trump Administration really question the validity of the president’s choice. But, before we get into the modern day effects, we have to go back in time to better understand the overall impact. Every American knows about the Terrorist attacks of 9/11, but not everyone knows the reason behind the attacks. “It will suffice to remind you of your latest war crimes in Afghanistan, in which densely populated innocent civilian villages were destroyed…You are the ones who broke the agreement with the Mujahideen when they left Qunduz, bombing them in Jangi fort, and killing more than 1,000 of your prisoners through suffocation and thirst” (Bin Laden’s Letter to America”). This is relevant today because when America pulled its weapons and troops out of the Persian Golf War, they left the people who had defended them and helped them fight their war defenseless and poor. They choose to fight back and seek revenge on the country that was supposed to protect them. “You have claimed to be the vanguards of Human Rights, and your Ministry of Foreign affairs issues annual reports containing statistics of those countries that violate any Human Rights. However, all these things vanished when the Mujahideen hit you, and you then implemented the methods of the same documented governments that you used to curse” (Bin Laden’s Letter to America”). The cause of some problems will be the Kurdish people taking aid from Syria, a sworn enemy of the U. S. government. The main effect of taking the troops out of the Syrian territory is that the Turkish people now have a free pass to remove the Kurds and take their land. But, only time will truly tell if Trump screwed up for America or if it will end up all right.

by Isabella Gabavics

News

Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

Wildcat Nation seeks to put fights in rearview mirror

The first few weeks of school have felt a bit more chaotic than normal in the hallways of West. Although student conflicts are nothing new to school administrators, there has been a worrisome pattern that has caught their eyes this year. Fights within the school have occurred much earlier, in contrast to being spread out throughout the academic season. Wild rumors have also fanned the flames of this situation. The first rumor to address was the number of fights that have occurred. Opposed to gossip that suggests there have been seven, 10, or even dozens, there have only been four fights total, according to Principal Erin Kohl. “Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had very few fights each year,” she said. “So, four isn’t an outrageous number for us to have in a year. Usually there are fewer and far ther in

b e tween. If we’re done and there are only four fights, I would say it’s probably a pretty typical number for us.” T h e r e we r e a l s o m a n y w h i s pers that all of the clashing had been s t a r t e d by f r e s h m e n . A l s o f a l s e. “There have been some freshmen, but there have been kids that started fights in other grade levels as well,” Kohl said. “Each separate fight had different people, so there weren’t people who were repeat offenders in the fights.” The fact that conflicts had occurred in rapid succession has caused some to wonder if this is an unlucky year for West, or perhaps if there is a deeper reason for so many fights so early in the year. “A lot of the times it almost seems to be for attention,” sophomore Jessie Kolb said. “The people that barely talk to each other are now being pulled off of each other. It just doesn’t add up.” Resource Off icer Mike Wissin k stated his opinion as to why he believes many students have resorted to fighting. “I think it seems like there have been more f ights this year because quite a few have been in the lunchroom,” he said. “They’ve been in more visible places, whereas in past years, maybe it was in the locker room or somewhere outside where not so many people saw it. I don’t think the numbers are any different than any other year.” St aff members and ad minist ration also admit that the popularity of the internet and social media are components to the abundance of f ights. “I think one of the worst things that’s happening is that social media is being misused,” Dean of Students Cory Beaulieu said. “I think social media is being misinterpreted, and I also think people aren’t talking to find out the truth. What people are thinking isn’t the truth, which leads to misunderstanding, which leads to blowup.” Wissin k sees poor com mu nication as a vital par t of why conf lict begins and why it doesn’t go away u ntil consequences are laid out. “When we get to the bottom of it and find out what the fight was about, the explanation or reasoning from the students is foolish,” he said. “I think with technology, people can say anything they want back and forth without the face to face consequences. So, when they start saying insults back and forth via social media, I think they get more severe than if the people were looking at each other.”

But, this wasn’t the only reason why students conflict with one another. Beaulieu acknowledged that the start of the school year also played a factor in the commotion. “Being early in the year, we’ve had to draw the line on what we’re going to accept, and what’s not going to be acceptable,” he said. “If more continue, we’re going to have to tighten up even more and make sure that the people involved, the people stirring up trouble, and the people who are in some cases, spreading false information, will be facing consequences.” Some students may find the aggressive behavior entertaining, but Beaulieu strongly disagrees with it. It may be comedic to mock and joke about these situations but they’re serious and involve real humans. “It’s not funny when people are physically hurt,” he said. “We kind of have that disconnection - we pull out our phones and don’t think about the person being hurt, the person who might be afraid to come to school now, the person who feels like they can’t

w a l k safely in the halls. None of those people are okay, and people pulling out their phones and laughing about it and joking about it only perpetuates the problem.” While much of the conversation is misleading, some of the rumors have been proven to be accurate. The consequences of fighting in schools are very severe but are definitely dependent on the situation. “A student is getting out of school suspension up to five days; that’s the longest we can suspend someone out of school before it goes to expulsion,” Beaulieu said. “If it was a case where someone was fighting constantly, they would be considered for expulsion and they would be out of school until their pre-expulsion hearing.” T he s e c o n s e q u e n c e s i n s cho ol can be quite severe but there’s also the legal consequence af ter f ig hts. “For the law, it depends on the severity of the fight,” Wissink said. “I have to look at the entire picture of what it’s about, and why it started. It can range anywhere from a citation to being referred to juvenile court. If you’re seventeen, you’re treated as an adult so that ups the fine and the charge.” The outcomes can be harsh for the perpetrators but they aren’t the only ones in the wrong. Students who are posting videos of the fights on social media to encourage offenders can also get into trouble. The consequences will not be on the same level as those of the perpetrators, but the individuals will not get off scot-free. “There are definitely consequences for glorifying fighting,” Assistant Principal Aaron Herm said. “There is always some administrative discretion on what that punishment looks like. We look at those on a case to case basis.” In extreme cases, such st udents can get suspended. “We have had people suspended out of school who played a part in causing a f ight that didn’t actually even throw a punch,” Beaulieu said. “We want to make sure this doesn’t become any more of an issue than it already is.” Along with legal consequences, there are also the physical effects. “I think fights can be pretty dangerous” Wissink said. “Some of the injuries we’ve seen so far have been minor scratches or bruises. However, you can get

a tooth knocked out, or damage to an eye, or more severe injuries than just bruises or scratches. We don’t want any fights, but hopefully they don’t escalate in violence to bringing in weapons or anything like that.” Now that students are more aware than ever that fights can break out at any moment, it is especially important to know what to do in the event of one. There are a few key steps the administrators recommend. “It would be great if students would just continue on their way and go to where they are supposed to be,” Beaulieu said. “I know that’s not going to happen. There are times we use those recordings as evidence, but we also don’t need two hundred people in a circle recording it. Make sure you give room for the administrators and police to get through and get there as fast as possible, to break it up before it does escalate into something more violent where kids are getting hurt.” However, some students seem to have a slightly different opinion on what should be done about the fights. “Students as a whole shouldn’t be punished for what a few people are doing. It’s not the student bodies job to fix it,” Kolb said. “Many students don’t know how to resolve their problems any other way. Fighting doesn’t resolve the issue. Often times it just makes it worse.” Another important aspect to consider is how these fights affect the rest of the student body, besides those who are directly involved and recording bystanders are the ones who receive the rumors. “I think it really annoys everyone,’’ junior Emma Everett said. “Fights are causing a lot of problems, like having to send emails to our parents and having staff deal with it. It ruins everyone’s day and makes everything less efficient; nothing good comes out of it.” Having to worry about fights breaking out is a distraction to learning, and causes students to feel less safe at school. Administrators want to create a safe environment where students can learn new information and feel safe while doing so. “I think the biggest thing is it becomes a distraction,” Beaulieu said. “It’s hard to focus if you’re a part of this or if you’re around it. It definitely throws you off. It’s hard to go back to class if you witnessed something like that.” In his opinion, in order to achieve a cohesive and safe place, students must work together to keep the peace. Overcoming these challenges together can create a safe school environment even better than before. “No one should come to school feeling fearful in any way,” Beaulieu said. “They should be able to come to school and focus on seeing people they know, enjoying their classes, focusing on what

they’re doing, and being able to go and pursue their hobbies and interests.” Administration’s goals for a safer environ ment are genuine. But what students feel is being done may differ from what they would like to see. “Something more should be done to prevent the fights,” Kolb said. “As of right now they kind of just seem to wait for them to happen. Find the patterns from students and try to help before it gets out of hand. A lot of students know who is most likely to get into a fight, so if teachers started paying more attention to the signs, more would be done.” In order to discredit these fears and allow st udents to concent r ate on what should be i mpor t a nt in school, Beaulieu clarifies how the little of an impact the fights have overall. “Although there have been these incidents, it’s a very minute percent of the population who’s participated in the fights,” he said. “I think it’s important to stress that ninety nine percent of the students at Oshkosh West are doing a great job and aren’t participating in things like this.” While it seems like only negative things could come from these fights, not everything has gone wrong. Herm suggests there are, and could be, more possible positive outcomes from them. “One of the coolest things that’s come from all of this i s upperclassmen coming up to me and saying, ‘t h is is not cool; this is not what o u r

school is, or has ever been,’” he said. “People were upset. I think chan neling that in a positive way so it’s not just adults saying, ‘hey, we don’t fight here,’ but everybody saying, ‘hey, we don’t fight here,’ is really good.” Herm advocates for a positive environment and for students to do what is right. These conflicts can be an opportunity to continue, or begin, growth within school. “I think that talking through problems takes a lot of maturity and can be tough as a high school student,” he said. “But I think that just talking through those problems is true strength.” Kolb has a ver y similar opinion. “It was unnecessary for people to have to reach that level of aggression,” she said. “If someone has an issue, that’s one thing. Get the help. Fighting isn’t the answer.”

by H. Chung and A. Furcy

October 28, 2019

News

Volume 116, Issue 2

Chinese government swallows up free speech China. The name evokes a variety of images - cuisine, customs, an ancient culture, and Communism. In today’s modern world, the country is an economic superpower, with some speculating it will overtake the U.S. Despite this success, free speech rights have long been a concern within the nation. In Hong Kong, protests for increased independence have been an ongoing battle for nearly five months and tens of thousands of people regularly challenge the Chinese government. Cooper Wakefield, professor of Intercultural Communications at Marian University, describes why the conf lict began, after the initial British colony of Hong Kong was given to China. “The phrase was ‘one country, two systems,’” Wakefield said. “They were going to be a part of China but indepen-

dent in governance and in other ways. But lit tle by little, over the past 20 years, that independence has been eroding away and the Beijing government is more and more just treating Hong Kong similarly to the ways it governs the mainland.” T he la ck of l ibe r t ies for Hong Kong affects citizens subst antially. World Cultures teacher Jeff Schinker illustrated the impor tance of protests and how it appeals to Western ideals. “It’s like a person with a body but

they have no soul,” he said. “It’s one thing to make money and have your gover nment create situations where you can be monetarily successful. But if you have a government that says you can’t speak against them, therein lies a problem. The basis of ever ything about America is freedom of speech.” The demonstrations are only growing as citizens catch more foreign attention. Many believe that this should be one of the largest global concerns, comparable to previous issues like ISIS or Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons. “If you care about human beings and the way in which they’re treated, it’s really clear what’s happening,” Schinker said. “These people are saying they want certain political freedoms and the Chinese government is saying no.” Chinese police have been retaliating with tear gas, riot police, and rubber bullet s i n order to decrease any action against the gover n ment.

be an infringement on people’s rights. I’m worried something like that will happen in Hong Kong where they’ll have cameras on every corner watching people and just really double down on policing. That’s not what the Hong Kong people want.” To combat the gover nment, Hong Kongers have been shutting down airports and major arteries of traffic. Aggression escalates as protestors have also been increasingly radical. In this sense, protesters are also negatively affecting common citizens. “The reason why the police pull out their guns is because they’re getting rocks thrown at them,” anonymous senior John Doe said. “They’re rubber bullets, it’s not going to hurt anyone. It’s more to scare than hurt anyone.” Considering the perspective of the Chinese government, it is possible that the protests are unreasonable and disadvantageous. “I think they are just riots that are mostly violent,” Doe said. “I don’t want them to break free and gain independence by being illogical; most of them are college kids. They should stop protesting and make a reasonable explanation as to why they want to resist the governm e n t change, not through

Neve r t hele s s , t he outcry continues and the police force is getting even more intense. “ T h e y’ve said they’re using live ammunition and one person was shot by police,” Wakef ield said. “There’s been a lot of accusations that the police force is crossing lines into brutality and doing things like disguising themselves as protesters and misbehaving on purpose to make it look like the protesters are the ones who are doing wrong.” The government has even used its emergency powers to create an antimask law, further outraging protesters. “I’m worried there could be a lot of bloodshed,” Wakefield said. “There could

prot e st i ng, but f rom t h e gove r n m e nt sid e. Hong Kong is an economy essential in the world and money will flow through America, not China, if they break free.” Hong Kong is essential to China’s economy because of the connections with foreign companies. Thus, the protests not only affect China, but America as well. American businesses like the NBA have been impacted because of the conf licts. On October 4, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted an image on Twitter that supported protests in Hong Kong. Very soon after, the Chinese Basketball Association said they would suspend all cooperation and airing of the team in China. The NBA retaliated, saying they would not back down on that statement of freedom of speech, nor fire Morey. “Last year the Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James had come out and made comments about activists movements that are happening,” Schinker said. “My biggest thing is that if there is some sort of position the NBA says that as a player or higher official, ‘you cannot speak about A, B, C...’ there should be ramifications.” LeBron James has become the voice of the NBA, although recently, his opinions on free speech have generated a lot of argument. “LeBron is saying Morey is misinformed,” Schinker said. “I’m not sure what misinformation there is. There’s no misinformation on how the people are being treated.” T he c ont rove r sy of f re e dom of speech stands in AP Government and Politics class, as teacher Paul Stellpflug points out that under the law, it is completely up to each company to create limitations. Despite this fact, Stellpflug says corporations should still set an example. “The First Amendment only protects us from government restrictions and freedom of speech,” Stellpflug said. “It doesn’t protect us in our private contracts with our employers. However, when you’re a big name, you’ve got a forum to educate and to motivate people. I hope the NBA doesn’t crack down on Morey for being against the oppression.” Even though the NBA has made a

statement against China, they could have benefitted largely from siding with them. “The NBA actually makes more money off of sales to people in China then they do in the United States,” Schinker said. “Therein lies is a reason why the NBA would want to monitor any negative connotations against China. Is it right if the league squelches the opinions and thoughts of its players and team of representatives?” While some might say that the corporation does have a right to intervene in this case, claims can be made that companies like the NBA should not be involved at all. “They should not make an argument,” Doe said. “They are not a government. I understand it’s a free country and you have freedom of speech, but it’s getting worse and worse by adding more arguments.” Pressure is on the American government to make a strong stand on this issue yet also sustain relations because of the large amount of trade they have with China. “Our cur rent administration has put certain sanctions or tariffs on goods which China returned and retaliated against,” Schinker s a i d . “ We’ve got that economic battle going between us a nd Ch i na. But the fact of t h e m a tter is they’re still doing business together and China has a lot of investments in our country.” The tension between the two countries is high, and companies can be toeing the line if they want to work together and still follow American and democratic ideals. It is a risky time to invest, with foreign relations so rocky between China and Hong Kong. “American cor porations are very nervous,” Wakefield said. “Right now you could invest a whole lot of time and money into China and they could just shut it down. I think right now it’s very risky to do business with China.” However, from Stellpflug’s point of view, the Chinese government won’t have much of an impact on Western businesses. “They’re just motivated by money,” he said. “I don’t think they care about the Chinese government’s abuse of civil rights and human dignity. They want to make money. That’s the sad reality.” Many countries want a part of the Chinese market share because the population is over one billion. The opportunity for a large amount of economic gain is tempting. “It’s up to them whether they want to value their Chinese supporters more than they value freedom of speech,” Wakefield said. “I don’t think they should have negative things happen to them though. The more you try to suppress these things, the more attention it’s actually going to bring.” Schinker believes people in America have voices and in order to make a significant change in Hong Kong, they need to speak up and speak out against t h is. Awa re ne ss beg i n s w it h i nd ividual accountability with resources. “I would encourage readers to be aware of what’s happening,” Schinker said. “And if you haven’t heard anything about it, Google it and look into it and see how it makes you feel. It should be a discussion.”

by Javit Thao

News

Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

Balancing stress of part-time jobs, full-time school Roughly 12 million people in the Unit- shopping with my friends or go to football ed States are unemployed. That’s 3.7% of games I have to pay. That’s what having a 372.2 miljob is for.” lion peoJobs ple. In Ostake up hkosh, the a lot of number is time for even lowstudents, er. Only especially around those over 2 , 0 0 0 16, who people in can legalOshkosh ly work are unm o r e employed hours. of 66,000 Even with people in photo by Sophie Burke t h o s e the city. Many students looking for jobs have troubles knowing where to start. The bulletin board located t e e n s D u e outside of Student Services has offered many employment opportunities for the student body. w o r k to such low ing long rates, many companies are in need of more hours, some businesses continue to keep workers but find there are fewer people able help wanted ads out. Places like Mcto fill those positions. This has caused many Donald’s keep applications out for the businesses to resort to hiring teenagers. public, even though they have an abunMany high school students look dance of teens that work nearly 40 hour into getting a job and use the fact that weeks. When it comes to school, however, many places are hiring to their benefit. work can take a toll on the time and en“I’ve been working at Festival ergy students have to put towards school. for about six months now,” sopho“Personally, I haven’t had to work more Bryce Joel said. “I wanted my much harder in school,” Schwerin own money to use however I choose.” said. “But I know a lot of people do.” As kids grow up, they take on more Many students will be told that responsibilities and they can no longer school comes first, so a lot of students get depend on their parents for everything. jobs to save for college or future careers. “High school is the point in life where “People should still work for what we get multiple responsibilities,” senior they want, even if they don’t plan to go Callie Schwerin said. “Your parents are go- to college,” Joel said. “If they want to ing to stop paying for everything you want to go get that new Xbox instead of saving do, so you need the money to do it yourself.” their money, then more power to them.” Not only do parents stop paying for gas Many students will take different for the car or the phone bills, many will stop paths in life and working now can benefit paying for their kids to go out on the weekends. them in the future, no matter what path “I spend my money mainly on time they choose. However, nobody said that out with my friends on the weekends,” because a teenager has a job their parsophomore Lily Fournier said. “When I go ents should completely stop helping them.

“I do budget my money, but my par- a job now, do it,” Van Aacken said. ents do help me a lot,” Schwerin said. “I “It will teach you so much and give have a separate account in the bank to you so much experience that a lot of save for college. But, my parents usu- people won’t get without working.” ally put more money into that one than Students agree that working in high I do. Eventually, a lot of money that school can give a much needed experiI make will be put towards college.” ence that pays benefits beyond a paycheck. At West, some classes are offered to “Constantly working can cause the help teach students to budget their money work experience to be less enjoyable,” and take the money they earn now, and Fournier said. “However, as long as the work in the future, and use it to support them- amount is manageable for each person, selves, a valuable working can skill for the future. give students “In my teaching caexposure reer, I’ve taught around that will be five semesters of perbeneficial in sonal finance,” teacher the future.” Sean Van Aacken said. M a n y “Within the class, we students agree look at budgeting now, that getting into college, and into a job in high their future career.” school can Every student is recause some quired to take a finance stress, but it class. These classes can is worth it. benefit people because “Multithey teach real life skills. ple times, evThe purpose of these ery weekend, classes is to prepare stumy friends or I dents for their future no have to cancel matter what they choose plans because to do after high school. of work,” “Working, as Schwerin said well as the class, will of her choices teach students life photo by Sophie Burke in budgetskills,” Van Aacken Not all jobs available for high school students are in food or retail. Stu- ing time. said. “It will teach dents have been able to explore other options at the career center. “We have to them about their time work around management and communication skills.” multiple schedules to have time for evHaving to balance work and school has erything. School is full time and work is taught many students aforesaid skills. These another 20 hours. But it really is worth abilities will continue to grow through a it because of the freedom and, not to person’s life, but working as a high school- mention, the extra spending money.” er can give these abilities a jump start. by Sophie Burke “To anyone considering getting

For the past few years, students spent their Mondays in homeroom watching videos or listening to lectures when, in reality, no one was really listening. In an effort to promote more school spirit and build stronger relationships within the student body, the new student led homerooms will attempt to reinstall life at West. Spanish teacher Justin Hable had a key role in organizing these student projects. “We had student-led homerooms when I was in high school, and I remember it being a really positive experience since I was one of the students who had gotten to lead the homerooms,” he said. “By having students lead the homerooms, their peers will get more out of the lessons because the upperclassmen are speaking about the issues and they are able to relate more to them than the teachers.” Hable and other teachers hope that the upperclassmen will be able to improve the overall high school experience for the underclassmen they are mentoring. The overall goal of the peer input sessions is to get more students involved in the information and opportunities presented during homeroom. “Participating in a discussion about topics with homeroom leaders and students is also more engaging versus watching a video,” he said. In addition, not only can it benefit those who are being led, but also those who are leading the homerooms. “We also hope to build connections between the older and younger grades,” Hable said. “The homeroom leaders will stay with the same homeroom for the

with an even more cooperative and interesting environment in school.’’ Some underclassmen also feel that the student led homerooms were beneficial. “At first I thought it was going to be just another presentation about new rules West had made, but I can really tell that the upperclassmen knew what they were talking about and tried to connect with me and tried to get me into new clubs,” an anonymous underclassmen said. But on the other hand, one flaw of this new program is that some of the underclassmen were not interested in what the upperclassmen had to say. In the survey, 52% of the homeroom leaders thought that the underclassmen did not pay attention and did not care about the lesson that the upperclassmen we trying to teach. “I do not feel enough students listen or pay attention because it’s the same stuff we have heard over and over, and continue to keep hearing it,” he said. “Due to the fact that even the underclassmen believe that their peers were not interested, this may indicate a need for some changes in the structure or topics of the homerooms.” “We should discuss more about get-

Homerooms turned over to homegrown leadership year and so they can build relationships with the students in their assigned class.” Both juniors and seniors were given the opportunity to be a part of this program and Hable explains how decisions on who could lead were made. “They took a survey to indicate their interest in being a homeroom leader,” Hable said. “Staff could nominate a student they thought would do well talking with other students and promoting the topics of homeroom,” Initial reactions to the homerooms were packed with mixed reactions from students. “It was a little awkward and forced at first because there’s not much of an age difference,” junior Ksena Lomena said. “It feels kind of strange giving instructions to your peers.” Despite the efforts that these leaders had put forth, in a survey taken by the homeroom leaders, 58.6% of students think that this program will be beneficial and 41.1% think it might be in the future. Junior Breelyn Bruss is part of the majority. “It is good for underclassmen, especially freshmen, to learn from upperclassmen about the info based on their high school experience so far, instead of just the teacher talking about the information,” she said. “It gives them a different perspective and hopefully it will help

ting involved,” Lomena said. “I know we kind of covered it in the first homeroom, but school spirit and participation is pretty low in general.” As this school year draws on and this program continues to evolve, students will have the opportunity to create new bonds, leading to a stronger student body. “If they expanded their talk from just clubs to like school activities or new ideas for events that we could actually have a say in what we want to do,” sophomore Haylee Kanak said. “Then I feel you would have a lot more people interested and on top of that they would want to get involved and interact.” Some other common responses for new topics from the survey were vaping, drugs, peer pressure, and high school tips, like organization. If these were talked about, perhaps the project would be more beneficial. “I think that if we talked more about fun and interesting topics this program would be more successful,” Kanak said. “More underclassmen would want to do it more their junior or senior year.”

by Adina Beyer

October 28, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 2

Community

Museum tells stories of the dead for ears of the living Spooky season has arrived and ghosts, showed paintings and different things that ghouls, and boogie monsters are in peo- we see now in a ghost story or TV show and ple’s thoughts and in Oshkosh! The new how they captured the voices and effects.” Cemetery Tales exhibit that has opened at The exhibit hosts many different the Public Museum features tombstones ways to feature different stories and hisrecreated from impressive originals found tory, including eerie collection of artifacts. at Riverside Cemetery. Along with burial “In a display they showed a few things traditions, paranormal encounters and a that might have been haunted or supposfew of the city’s many historical deaths, edly haunted,” Beek said. “Then there there is histor y behind the macabre. was a fake cemetery and on the graves There is a method to the museum’s they shared real stories about how they ma d ness, accorddied. There’s also i n g t o El i z a b e t h a booklet for difMer vitt, a muferent people from seum staff member. Oshkosh to write “The history of d ow n t he i r ow n death and how we ghost stories like treat death says a ‘Merrill is haunted’ lot about our culture or some other generally and just the ghost sighti ngs history of Oshkosh,” around the area.” she said. “Obviously M e r v i t t e xwe’re a keeper of pla i ne d t h at he r photo by Kailey Freund history for the Os- The museum creates displays that house past and f avo r i t e fe a t u r e hkosh area and this present haunted items, places, and stories. The includes the tales of is one way to bring Cemetery Tales exhibit goes until the end of the people from the city. those stories to life month. “I love these and to just inform people about why we tablets that tell the stories of local people,” have the traditions that we have today.” she said. “People have written down There are interactive displays that help their own stories of unexplained things.” visitors immerse themselves into the city’s H ig h l ig h t i n g l o c a l g h o s t s t o chilling past. These displays are not only ries also drew in senior Kardo Ali, engaging, but they also teach people of who was surprised by a chilling tale. all ages the forgotten history of Oshkosh’s “An interesting story I stumbled upon funeral traditions and the deeper meaning was when the remains of a human were found behind the unique symbols that can be along the train tracks,” he said. “I didn’t read found on many gravestones. Junior Allison the whole story, however, because it was Beek learned about the different traditions very frightening and it made me nervous.” of the burial and grieving process that used The tombstones inform viewers of to be and things that Holly wood other citizens’ personal morbid tales. Ind o e s t o d a y. cluding the story of a man who perished “There was a in a boiling batch of pre-made soap. Also, machine in there that took a raging fire that claimed the lives of bodily f luids out of many, and other heart wrenching family t h e s y s - tragedies. While these stories seem gruetem a n d some, less scary encounters, for the faint of heart, are also highlighted in the exhibit. pumped “One girl wrote that she was at a sleepc h e m i c a l s over with her friend and her friend went to into it to pre- go get a drink of water and use the bathroom serve the body,” and she saw a figure behind a couch,” Beek she said. “There said. “She thought it was her friend pulling was another part a prank on her so she called out her name, of the exhibit that and she said it again. The figure disap-

peared at the same time her friend walked “ Wit h i n my cla s s , one u n it i s into the room. She was so scared because spooky people and places, and it ties she thought it might have been a ghost.” into Wisconsin’s position on the death W h i l e t h i s s t o r y w a s o n l y a penalt y,” he said. “I thought it was ‘close’ encounter, Mer vitt highlights perfect so I scheduled a f ield t rip.” t hat al l st or ies a re wor t h sha r i ng. The exhibit is not only for ghost “Since all of them were Oshkosh resi- love r s , b u t a nyo n e w h o w a n t s t o dents, and we know their stories from the learn more about history and past cusnewspapers and word of mouth, we could ac- toms that m ig ht seem wei rd tod ay. tually describe them,” she said. “Everybody “I was interested in reading ghost has a tale; it’s just a matter of finding it out.” stories that people have sent in because Death is a morbid and hard topic, but they were so different,” Beek said. “Even people seem to have a general interest in the if you believe they are real or not, it’s idea of learning about it, and that was the something cool to look at how back in the focus, to bring more people to the museum. day they used to wear certain accesso“I think some people are to a cer- ries for grieving, and how they prepared t ai n deg ree ver y fasci nated by t he a body for death. I didn’t know, for inidea of death, the questions of death stance, that certain black lace actually had a nd wh a t h a p p e n s ,” Me r v it t s a id . poison on it so they could poison themOne thing that draws the attention selves as part of their grieving process.” of teenagers is the idea of spooky, scary With Halloween coming up, it’s inexperiences. Jeff t e r e s t i n g t o k n ow Schin ker, A rea O s h ko s h’s s p o o k y Studies of Wispast customs also consin teacher, have a fair share of believes his stuparanormal activity. dents were drawn Ali hopes that the city to the exhibit and will do more things why he decided like this to crank up to take them on the creepy factor dura field trip there. ing the holiday season. “ Te e n a ge r s “I thin k people tend to like things ca n re al ly le a r n a like cemeteries lot f rom at tend i ng and Buff y the these things, like inVampire Slayer teresting facts about photo by Abe Weston their city,” he said. characters,” he The Riverside Cemetery has history buried within the s a id . “ W h e n I There have been graves. With the partnership between the museum first started teach- and the cemetery, Cemetery Tales sheds light onto the multiple paranormal ing Area Studies, shadowy past of the dead. encounters from beI wanted to talk yond the grave. Some about Ed Gein and say the sounds of a Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial killers creaking rocking chair can be heard echothat this state has produced and how that ing through the Algoma Campus streets, has evolved to spooky people and places. along with traumatized souls still occupyThe fact that the Oshkosh Public Museum ing the site of the 1880 Beckwith House fire. is doing Cemetery Tales really connects Beek described the fasto what we are doing around Halloween.” c i n a t i o n b e h i n d t h e h i s t o r y . The Public Museum and the Riverside “A lot of these stories are from OshCemetery partnered to find and recreate kosh or the Wisconsin area,” she said of the history behind the graves. Since it the exhibit and the stories shared. “It’s features past citizens and known areas, fun to hear of local ghost encounters.” Schinker knew that the Cemetery Tales by T.Funnell, E. Nessman, E.Olson would be perfect for their current unit.

Community

Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

p h a nt o m s c a p t iv a t e s t a f f a n d s t u d e nt s Oshkosh had a ghoulish visit when The Four Phantoms came to perform at the Grand. The quartet’s voices enchanted the audience September 26-28. T hey even sucked i n choi r teacher Bethany Meyer to be a part of the chorus. “[Choir director] Herb Berendsen was contacted by the music director of the Four Phantoms and asked if he could get a small choir together to sing a couple of background songs,” Meyer said. “Then Mr. Berendsen contacted me to be a part of that choir.” The Four Phantoms, who have won Tony Awards, perform with two-time Grammy Award-winner David Caddick, and musical director Ryan Shirar. Also joining them was Kaley Ann Voorhees, who is currently the female lead in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera. Senior Peyton Dobbins expressed her excitement about seeing the combined group. “My favorite part of the show was when they brought out Kaley, and the phantoms were all singing together with her,” Dobbins said. “It was such a powerful moment hearing all their voices together, and I was completely blown away.” Meyer was also impressed by the casting and grateful to be a part of the performance herself. “It’s always exciting t o perform with professional vocalists on any program. So, to be invited to do so is an honor,” she said. With the concert being a few weeks away, Meyer and the other vocalists rehearsed to be prepared for opening night. When it came to the big show, Meyer talked the evening’s logistics. “We had a rehearsal with them and then we sat in the lounge area, watched the show on TV and then went downstairs, stood in the wings of The Grand to wait to go on to the show,”

she said. “We sang two songs, the song before the end and the encore, and we did get to watch the show on Friday night. I enjoyed singing with everyone on stage.” While the performance highlighted the Phantoms, students thought it was fun to see their teacher singing outside of the classroom. Junior Nick Smith thought that seeing Meyer outside a stressful school zone was extremely interesting. “I think it was an awesome opportunity and it’s cool to see her perform, especially since usually she’s just conducting,” Smith said. Dobbins was also inspired by this opportunity for Meyer because she appreciates her talent and leadership. She looks forward to a possible future in music and is excited to have opportunities such as this. “I thought it was really eye-opening seeing Mrs. Meyer in the performance because she’s someone who has heavily inspired me to pursue music education,” she said. “Knowing someday that could be me, having the opportunity to partake in something like this is a special feeling.” Smith and Dobbins were among fourteen students who had the opportunity to see the Phantom show on opening night. “The Grand had a patron who wanted h ig h scho ol students to go to the show and they paid for 14 tickets for each high school, so students could watch the show,” Meyer said. With the theat re t r yi ng to get more st udents i nvolved i n com mun it y shows, Sm it h ce r t ai n ly love d the idea of coming to those events. “I like the Phantom of The Opera

so when I heard that Four Phantoms nationally known events to Oshkosh if we’re we re goi ng t o b e p e r for m i ng, a nd the event city,” she said. “It would be nice I had to go and see them,” he said. to bring people with larger names here.” Dobbins also shared her thoughts While music might not be everyone’s cup of tea, those who do like musicals o n b r i n g i n g m o r e f a m o u s p e r might be surprised to hear the original fo r m e r s t o t h e O s h ko s h G r a n d . “I would love to see more events like songs compiled differently in this show. this because it “The Four Phanwas such a cool toms sang musical oppor t u n it y to theater songs, so hear something if you don’t know that you don’t get musical theater, to everyday,” she you can still apsaid. “It tied in preciate how good so many different of si nger s t hey t y pes of music were,” Meyer said. a nd showcased “For the most part, t he voices of st ude nt s wou ld these incredhave to appreciible perfor mers ate music to be i n a way that able to appreciate photo courtesy of The Four Phantom facebook page was completely this opportunity.” With the stu- The Phantoms share the stage with Kaley Ann Voorhees, unique to each of them.” dents that went all or as people know her, Christine in the Phantom of the Opera. Besides these broadway performers, Mrs. Bethany Meyer is all having an interMeyer was asked to be a part of the performance. about allowi ng est in the origins her students to get of music, the Phantoms took the chance to share their stories and share some his- out and share their talents with the commutory of songs outside of their musical. nity. She is excited to have them work along“It was fun to hear the Phantoms side a very talented artist later this year. “Alpin Hong, a well known piaand also their experiences,” Smith said. “I liked the part when one of them sang nist around the world, is coming in April Danny Boy, because I knew the song and he’s getting high school students infrom Choir but now I learned the back- volved in that,” she said. “We are going to story of it, it has more of a meaning to me.” be performing something in that concert.” With the curtains closed, the imMeyer also loved that the Phantoms expanded their horizons in terms of music choice. pact of the event still leaves an im“One of the songs that we got to sing as print on the thoughts of the audience. “I would highly encourage people a chorus was ‘The Best of Times is Now,’ and it was really fun singing that song with to go see something similar to this if all the different voices combined,” she said. they get the opportunity,” Dobbins said With Oshkosh hosting these Phantom of the evening. “I believe that even if superstars, Meyer talked about her expec- music wasn’t a big part of my life, this tations in getting more talented people experience would be enough to get me involved in the city’s various venues. more involved in the musical community.” by Emma Olson “I think that it’s important that we bring

Breaking the chains of despair...

trafficking victims seek Freedom. Security. Hope. Peace. These quintessential rights are not only outlined in the U.S. Constitution but stand as liberties to which every human is entitled. So essential are these attributes that people will strive their whole life to obtain them. Many will fail to reach this pinnacle, but often the struggle to achieve such goals is worth it regardless. However, not all people are presented these opportunities, and for some, they become luxuries to be dreamt of, but never to be achieved. As of current estimates, 40.3 million people across the world fall into the category of victims of human and sex trafficking. “Human trafficking is the use of fraud, force, and coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor against their will,” 5-Stones, a sex trafficking awareness group, Lead Volunteer Kris Pierce said. “It forces them i nto a world of slaver y. Instead of being looked at as a hum a n beings, a n d being judged o n their value a n d contribut ion to society, vict i ms become c o m modities being sold to buyers, valued by their financial and labor worth.” Considering hu m a n a nd sex trafficking are seen as grievous crimes, it can be a shock that they are a problem in Wisconsin and even Oshkosh. “ I d id n’t think sex traff icking was super prevalent i n Osh kosh ,” senior Callista Rochon-Ba ker said. “But one day I saw posters all over the school, especially in the bathrooms. They said that many people are trafficked here in Oshkosh and I was pretty sur prised.” Such sur pr ises stem from the misconceptions s u r r o u n d i n g t h e t o p i c. A prevalent stereotype is the assumption that t raff icking only occu rs in de n sely p opu lat e d a r e a s. “A common misconception is that this dangerous industry only exists in large cities,” Pierce said. “This is wrong. Sex trafficking happens all over Wisconsin. Another misconception is that this only happens to adults 18 years and older. That’s wrong. The average age for girls is 1214 years old, and for boys 11-13.” Wiscon si n doe s not p ossess the worst human traff ick-

ing record in America, but the crime is actively practiced, and traffickers work discreetly. Organizations such as Damascus Road hope to bring this to light. “A lot of labor trafficking that exists in our area is around migrant work,” Damascus Road Outreach Director Terra Koslowski said. “Sex trafficking in our area is prevalent as well because of our proximity to a major trucking route, Highway 41, which connects to Milwaukee. In Wausau, it’s easy for traffickers to move their girls to wherever money can be made. So many times victims are brought from Milwaukee to our area because they can make more money here, because there’s less supply. It’s a bu si ne s s gove r ne d by supply a nd dema nd.” Vict i m s who a re t r af f icked ca n come from any background, no social g roup has a n “ i m m u n i t y.” “People who are affected could be struggling w it h p e rson al a n d fami l y issues o r have l o w selfesteem,” P i e r c e said. “Maybe they are living i n pover t y, are homeless, are runaways, are looking for adventure, or looking for love and a family. It could be people who don’t fit into society’s definition. Sex traff icking doesn’t care

about age, gender or ethnicity.” Manipulation is often a tool used by victimizers, a nd v ict i m s m ay often feel they have no ot her choice but t o s u b m it . “I think a com mon m isconception is that the person is choosing to do this,” c o u n s el o r Rob Ke rl s a i d . “W hen, in reali t y , they a r e b e ing co-

erced and threatened with violence against themselves or those they care about. For those being trafficked, they believe they are being turned out and can never get help. The only person they can trust is their victimizer. They feel shame for their actions and immense guilt to the point they don’t believe their loved ones w i l l forgive them or accept them anymore.” S i g n s of such ma n ipulation are visible, if one k nows what to look for. Victims may display “warning signs” which could indicate any abuse that may be occurring. “Victims may be isolated from friends and family,” he said. “They may lie about who they are seeing or asking friends to cover for them when they are going to m e e t their victimizer. They could m a k e excuses: that this person really c a r e s for them and that they have strong fe el i ng s for them. Other signs include: participat i ng i n behaviors that are out of the norm for them - like alcohol and drug abuse, truancy, lying, showing up with expensive gifts or money you know they could not afford or have, or showing up with bruises or unexplained injuries.” However social signs are not the only identifiers of victims. As gangs and criminal organizations consider victims as property, they may “brand” them for more easy identification. In the eyes of a peer, this can be an obvious sign of involvement in trafficking. “Branding is where a trafficker will make someone that t h e y a r e forci ng into prostitution get a tattoo of a logo,” K o -

slowski said. “A pimp or a trafficker has a name or logo that they go by, and each girl that they recruited to work for them will get the same tattoo. Usually, it’s on the side of their neck or on their chest. Some common ones are ‘daddy’s girl,’ ‘loyalty,’ or even a b a r c o d e .” If students at West ever encounter such signs, Kerl expresses that it is important to report them. “ I f anyone suspects t h a t someone is involved i n any type o f traff icki n g , they should t a l k t o t he person they suspect, gather more facts, and if the fear that this is happening still lingers, then report it immediately to law enforcement, a school employee, or a trusted adult,” he said. “Too often we allow our loyalty to our friends to cloud our judgement. We don’t want to betray their trust. But, the reality is if you don’t say something this person could suffer way more damage than feeling that a friend let them down. As with all social

support as crisis grows issues surrounding things or behaviors we all know are harmful, it is of the utmost importance to shine a light on these things, not only to help those suffering, but to bring awareness to the issues i n o rder to stop them from h ap p e n i ng at t he frequency they do.” However, not all victims a n d t h e i r p e e r s m ay feel com for t able divulging such information if they b el i e ve i t won’t actually resolve the problem. “ I w o u l d n’t feel comfor table going to a school counselor because I think the system is kind of f lawed. We don’t have enough therapists, which is where you would eventually go,” junior William Engedal said. “I did a project on this and we have a huge lack of therapists and therapy costs way too much money because of that. There i s not an adequate place for trafficking vict i ms o r people with mental illnesses.” A par t of t h e reluc -

tance to talk to counselors may be because a l l We s t s t a f f m e m be r s a re ma nd at e d re por te r s , meaning that they report concerns to authorities. “As a counselor, I am a mandated reporter like all school employees, meaning that anytime I fear for the safety of the person in front of me or someone else I am required by law to report the situation to the proper authorities,” Kerl said. “After gathering as many facts as I could, I would contact either Child Protective Services or the Police department. At that point, those agencies would take over the official investigation.” If students do not feel confident talking to school counselors, where could they go and who could they run to? The question has a difficult answer, but as the problem gains more attention in Wisconsin; various organizations hope to address this.

“Wisc on si n h a s many non-profit orga n i z at ion s dedicated to educating com mu nities a b o u t issues like these,” Pierce said. “There are law enforcement rep resentatives engaged in prevention programs with the general public and schools. There are agencies which provide services for victims of human and sex trafficking, and they are willing to lend assistance to help restore victims and provide much needed assistance.”

As far as Wisconsin law is concerned, there are significant protections against trafficking. However, improvements can be made. “Cur rent issues are in front of Wisconsin leg islat u re,” P ie r c e s a id . “We need bills passed for safe harbor laws to protect vic-

tims. We need stronger p e n a lt ie s on individuals, called johns, who buy sex and traffickers who sell people.” I n a world where “johns” can have

a c cess to the Inter net, it is easier for t he trafficking industry to find targets. “Social media a nd apps play a huge role i n trafficking” Koslowski said. “It’s one of the most common ways that pimps recr uit. A trafficker is looking for someone who is really v ulner able, and usually they can find someo n e who is sharing all

their emotions and fr ustrations online. If people don’t express those things to someone and post them on social media instead, they can be found by traffickers who look for those key phrases. They’ll start up a c o n versation and use the things that are being posted to ‘groom’ their victim online.” However, the fact that the media and Internet is used so widely may also be an advantage in warding off t raff ickers. “Internet and social media can spread awareness and ideas faster,” RochonBaker said. “It can help victims who are potentially getting hurt because of the problem. If people are aware t h a t t r a f f i c king is local, they a re more prone to help out and do something about it.” Through awareness on social media and mak ing g reater efforts in interpersonal relationships, students, teachers, parents, coaches, and other community members can make huge steps in preventing human and sex trafficking and helping victims. Fundamentally, it s t a r t s w it h genuine affection and kindness t owa r d s p e e r s . “Each i nd ividual has more power to be a positive force in the lives of others than they k now,” Kerl said. “A smile, a kind word, or reaching out to someone that seems isolated or alone is easier than you would think. Whether it’s someone you don’t know, or a lifelong friend, we can all do more to help. I’ve seen the incredible impact this can have on those quietly suffering through life. I was once told by a student that there are too many people in this world that do the most unthinkable acts of abuse to innocent people, and it made them feel hopeless. Sadly, this student is exactly right, these things do exist, which is why it is so important that the rest of us try to put as much good back into the world that we can. The smallest act of kindness can change a person’s life for the better.”

story by Akashraj Karthikeyan graphics by Hannah Olson

October 28, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 2

Sports

New look tennis team take the FVA by storm Sports Photo Poll

Which physical activity do you dislike the most?

“Wall sits, because they kill my legs” - freshman Zach Eaton

October 28, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 2

Sports

New look tennis team take the FVA by storm Sports Photo Poll

Which physical activity do you dislike the most?

“Wall sits, because they kill my legs” - freshman Zach Eaton

“Running because it’s painful, boring, and mentally exhausting” -sophomore Faith Hopkins

“Swimming because I can’t float” - junior John Koth

“Running because it takes a lot of endurance” - senior Hailey Schmitz

“Lunges because I don’t like stretching in uncomfortable ways” - Spanish teacher Justin Hable

Tennis may seem simple enough, but played and my energy level,” she said. her wa nt i ng to do well kept pushThe sport, like much of life, has ing me to do good.” its players find the sport an exceptional challenge demanding the utmost practice far more to do with rising above failFor sophomore Courtney Carpenter, and discipline. Galvanized by that disci- u res than always bei ng successf ul. her biggest motivator was reaching her ulti“In any sport, my biggest advice that mate goal, which was qualifying for State. pline, the Wildcat girls tennis team took I have, learnthe FVA by “My biggest motivator was to go to ing from my state and to always do my best to come stor m with regrets, is to through and get a win for the team,” she said. a 7-1 overall be confident con ference For many, sports are a way to take i n you r s el f one’s mind off the crazy parts of daily record this a n d s t a y life. Nguyen sees it as a great way to season. positive and meet new people and just have fun. With many r e l a xe d ,” underclass“ [ Te n n i s] p r ov id e s exc it e m e nt Nguyen said, and enter tainment as opposed to all men on the “ r eg a r d le s s of my homework and school which team, Coach of t h e c i r- can tend to be st ressf ul,” she said. A nd rew cumstances.” Schaller Beyond the st ress release, J u n i o r Nguyen also believes that the spor t brought new Ciarra Prill’s h a s i m p r o v e d h e r s o c i a l s k i l l s . tactics, not love for the only hoping “I also enjoy talking to a lot more s p o r t h a s people in high school because of the soto give the l e d h e r t o cial skills that tennis requires,” she said. Wildcats an become more edge against Schaller enjoys coach i ng t hese involved and players who strive to do their best. He the opposifind and im- made some changes to the tactics of the tion, but p r o v e m e n t . team and is pleased with the success. to improve “A s a pl aye r d e “Our doubles teams transition[ed] from tennis player, a defensive doubles position to a ‘classic velopment I’ve definitely doubles’, or offensive doubles,” he said. “The for f ut u re become more girls did a great job buying into this change seasons. a g g r e s s i v e and ended the season very successfully.” The photo by Ciarra Prill a n d a c t u c o a ch wa s Without coaches, the players would ally lear ned str uggle to lear n alone, and a great thrilled with Junior Brinley Bettcher and sophomore Courtney Carpenter l o v e coach knows how to teach the playhis players played as doubles partners and hope to come back next year t o t h e s p o r t ,” ers and make them grow throughout accept a nce even better. The Wildcat girls tennis team was exceptional in s h e s a i d . their high school career. Nguyen has of the new conference with a 7-1 record. Schaller seen this from Schaller and has become techniques. a l s o f i n d s a better athlete, even as a sophomore. “ B y the end of the season, the girls playing huge potential in the team and is ea“[Coach] has been great when it came singles really began to understand specific ger to see what they will do next year. to motivating me and giving advice. The “Being a young team with three sopho- coaches have helped tremendously and gave strategies of being successful,” he said. “I have no doubt that our singles players will mores and a freshman, these girls can con- me strategy on the court,” Nguyen said. come back next year in full force.” With the season finally beNot only did Schaller want ing over, the seniors now pass to achieve tactical success for the down their rackets to the group team, but he also set high goals. of freshman coming in next year. “A goal I had for the team was For Prill, seeing her partner leave to take the top two in conference and next year will be hard, but she was to have a winning overall record,” he pleased with her performance said. “Both of these goals were met.” with Zimmerman this season. Senior Anna Zimmerman has “ T h i rd i n se c t ion a l s is seen growth as a tennis player from something I’m pretty proud of; the beginning to a senior now. She Anna and I did very well this has grown to love the sport and season,” she said. “We both enjoy every minute of the season, worked very hard and that was whether a meet or just practice. seen in our overall performance.” “I came onto tennis without any It is always hard for seniors experience, playing JV, and not really when their season ends, but for caring about the sport,” she said. “I Zimmerman, that bittersweet moreached my goals this season, makment will always stay with her. ing it to sectionals, and doing pretty “I am going to miss the well there. I am also happy with our overnight invites and staying in record, which ended up being 23-7.” hotels, going to Cheesecake facSome Wildcats are still early tory, and riding in the vans with on their journey in West athletics, the team,” she said. “I am also and have loved it so far. Sophomore going to miss playing my favorElla Nguyen has seen improveite sport with a team of people ment in her game within only two who share the same love for it.” photo by Ciarra Prill years, but is excited for her next S ch a l le r s e e s t h e mu ltwo years as a Wildcat athlete. Sophomore Anika Larson finished a strong season for Wildcat tiple obstacles that a player “I feel that I have improved tennis. Coach Andrew Schaller brought new techniques and faces i n a ga me as ver y my skills from freshman year to training strategies to the table for this year’s campaign. similar to the struggles of life. my current sophomore year,” she “Tennis is like life,” he said said. “Next year, I plan to win much tinue to build confidence in their singles of the relationship between the two, the more and become tougher on the court.” strategy and skills in the offseason,” he said. micro and the macrocosm. “The ups and One of the biggest factors in becoming downs of points and games put players As only a sophomore, Nguyen has learned much as a tennis player and as better, in anything, is motivation. Prill in various physical and mental states and an athlete in general. She hopes to learn has become very close with her doubles challenges they have to face as individufrom her mistakes and use them as a partner, Zimmerman, and has used her as als. The player can either control their chance to reach her goals in the future. inspiration to perform at the highest level. emotions and overcome adversity or give “Anna was def initely my biggest in. Life throws many challenges our way, “A not he r m ist a ke of m i ne wa s having negative thoughts going into motivator since it was her last year, she just like tennis does in every match.” matches and becoming tight and un- really wanted to do well this season, to by Zade Alzoubi relaxed, which would impact how I finish it off good, she said. “So, I guess

“Running because it’s painful, boring, and mentally exhausting” -sophomore Faith Hopkins

“Swimming because I can’t float” - junior John Koth

“Running because it takes a lot of endurance” - senior Hailey Schmitz

“Lunges because I don’t like stretching in uncomfortable ways” - Spanish teacher Justin Hable

Sports

Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

Johanknecht commits to UW Green Bay NBA Top 100 From a Wildcat to a Phoenix, athletics Division 1,” she said. “She has always average. With success on both the volleycan spawn some strange mutations. Junior been a supportive ball court and in Natalie Johanknecht will be undergoing t e a m m a t e a n d the classroom, this transformation in just two short years leader, so it was Johan k necht as she recently made a verbal commit- no surprise when will fulfill her ment to the University of Wisconsin she com mit ted.” life-long ambiGreen Bay. After three exceptional years Vo l l e y b a l l tion in becomfor the Wildcat volleyball team, with one head coach Giling a Division of them as a captain, Johanknecht will lian Pakula holds 1 athlete, someshortly pass on her talents to the Phoenix. the same beliefs thing that is very The junior made her decision based on as Johanknecht’s hard to achieve. the atmosphere Green Bay has to offer. t e a m m a t e s . “It has The squad impressively claimed its first “ Nat alie has always been every Horizon League Championship last a great work ethic my d r e a m t o year, earning an automatic qualification and is always lookplay Div ision to the 2018 NCAA Division 1 Volleyball ing for ways to imI volleyball at playoffs. Johanknecht definitely took prove her game,” t he colleg iate that into consideration as the team’s past she said. “So, I’m level,” she said. success will keep hopes up in achieving not surprised in the P a k u l a higher goals of helping the Phoenix win. least that she was has believed in “They have an amazing coaching a ble t o c o m m it Johan k necht staff,” she said. “Their supportive team to the next level.” since the minculture can be seen on and off the court.” Not only does ute she saw her photo courtesy of Katie Miller In her third year on the varsity team, she excel on the play. Now, after Natalie Johanknecht promotes her future Johanknecht has led the Wildcats to a 7-2 re- volleyball cour t, Junior coaching her school, UW Green Bay. Natalie committed to the cord and third place in the FVA Conference but Johan k necht Pheonix this fall to play D1 volleyball. for some time, standings she surely bef rom her lieves that her talent will go a long way. position as “Through my 23 years of coaching, a m idd le I’ve only had a handful of players able to fill hitter, a role on varsity as a freshman, and Natalie where she was one of those. She was an impact player has manimmediately for the Wildcats,” she said. aged a leAfter playing the sport for almost her thal 41 kill whole life, Johanknecht has learned so percentmuch that she never would have expected, age w it h and a lot of it that will last with her forever. 413 career “You ca n lea r n so ma ny valuk i l l s . able lessons that go beyond just the J u game,” Johanknecht said of her time n io r Eva i n t he s p or t. “ Vol leyba l l h a s i m Beeth, pacted my life in so many ways that I who has couldn’t imagine my life without it.” played Johank necht, who now has only photo courtesy of Katie Miller w i t h Jo one season lef t in her high school hanknecht Johanknecht stares down her competition on the other side of the net. The volleyball ca reer, ref lected on evsince age junior volleyball star will be on Green Bay’s side of the court starting in the fall er y thing the spor t has offered her. 13, has be- of 2021. “From the relationships I’ve built to the lieved her lessons I’ve learned, I wholeheartedly befriend’s future to be set in stone for years. has been just as impressive in her academ- lieve this sport has truly made me who I am.” “I always knew she was going to go ics. She currently holds a 4.0 grade point by Katie Miller

Managers prove integral key to success Many fail to realize that a significant, yet unseen, amount of success a team achieves comes from behind the bright lights. At West, many of the athletic programs have fostered the potential of not only athletes, but student managers. These managers are instructed to help organize the small, yet crucial, responsibilities of an athletic program. Most coaches tend to be very busy with other activities, and a lot of them teach classes or work in other academic-related environments. Head varsity football coach Ken Levine understands the importance of student managers and what they bring to the team. “The girls we have are always running around, getting water, which allows me to focus on the more important aspects of coaching,” he said. “The managers make practices run more fluidly for the program.” Head varsity coach of the soccer team Matt Callahan thinks managers are a great help to the team, and have helped him become a better coach, by managing the minute details that end up defining a team. “The managers for soccer are critical in helping to manage the game day experience,” he said. “As a result of the manager’s efforts the players and the coaches have a better experience.” In their practices the student managers are not asked to do very intensive tasks. They tend to be most important on the days

of matches and games, according to Levine. “The managers help load up the bus before games, and most of all make sure all our equipment is in the right spots,” Callahan said. “At games they help unload and set-up our sideline while the team prepares for their game. The managers also help out a ton by filming our games.” Despite football and soccer being two completely different sports, the routine for the managers is very similar. Callahan puts his managers to work on game days to help everything run much more smoothly. “The primary task of our managers is to assist with our game day operations,” he said. “That includes recording stats, filming, preparing a box score for the newspaper, and providing paperwork to the referee and the opposing team.” The sports managers have a lot of serious tasks they must accomplish. Sophomore Lily Fournier spends a lot of her time up in the gym assisting the wrestling team by setting up equipment and getting drinks ready for the team. Fournier has one season under her belt from her freshman year, so she knows what must be done as a manager to make

sure practices are as successful as possible. “The jobs I have are to fill up the mat cleaner before every practice, as well as filling up water bottles,” she said. “I also help the coaches by taking attendance at the beginning of each practice.” Among one of Callahan’s five varsity managers is senior Owen Polak. Polak had played soccer for West in his previous three seasons, and continued on the team this year as a manager. Polak had many reasons to stay with the team as a manager for his final year, including the amazing atmosphere of friends and the “on the job” experience as well. “I enjoy being around the soccer team,” Polak said. “I get to hang out with a lot of the guys and I always love to watch them play. I want to help out for a college team next year, learning how to do it now will make it easier once I get there.”

by Drew Best

With the newest NBA season starting up this month, ESPN revealed its annual top 100 rankings to the public. This list is made up by so-called “professionals,” and this year was one of the most shocking and critiqued lists that ESPN has ever made. Among the major controversies was of course, Duke standout and NBA rookie, Zion Williamson. Williamson, despite never stepping foot on an NBA court when this list was made, begins the season ranked 42nd. This ranking is higher than rookie and second overall pick Ja Morant at 93rd, Warrior’s sharpshooter Klay Thompson at 49th, and four time NBA all-star, DeMar DeRozan. There are high expectations for Williamson as he enters the NBA, but there is doubt about how his game will translate into the NBA from only one year at Duke. Freshman Alex Bryant has doubts about Williamson’s incredibly high rookie ranking and about how he will perform in the NBA. “He’s really overrated,” he said. “Low seventies is probably more appropriate for a rookie. They shouldn’t even be ranked that high as rookie in my opinion.” Another shocking ranking had to do with Andre Drummond, who fell down seven spots from last year and now sits at 52nd, even after leading the league in rebounds by two boards more than top 10 ranked Joel Embiid. Math teacher John Stack sees the controversy behind the list, but also believes that most players don’t take these rankings very seriously. “I don’t think he gives a rip whether he’s in the top 50,” he said. “Most players don’t care about peoples’ opinions about their abilities. He could definitely replace some of the players that are in the top 20 though.” More controversial than Drummond were the top three rankings of the list. This year’s league MVP and Milwaukee Buck Giannis Antetokounmpo was ranked as the top player in the league. This caused a bit of controversy as Kawhi Leonard, the second best ranked player by ESPN and his former team the Toronto Raptors, effortlessly shut down Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in early 2019. Many still say that, despite the meteoric rise of Antetokounmpo and the great season’s both he and Leonard produced last year, that “The King” LeBron James should sit atop the throne of the NBA’s best players. Junior Nathan Schultz agreed mostly with ESPN’s top three but had just one correction that he thinks would improve the list drastically. “I think that ESPN got it right,” he said. “LeBron should be lower, with him not in his prime anymore. But, with injuries currently in the league, that is a fair top three.” There is also talk of many players being heavily overrated. The most common name being thrown around is Warriors Power Forward Draymond Green, who is ranked as the 38th best player in the NBA. Senior Samuel Geffers weighed in on the conversation with varying opinions about Draymond’s current placement. “Draymond is underrated,” he said. “He may not look very appealing in the box score, but he has the skill and efficiency to win championships, as he has shown on multiple occasions in the past.”

by D. Best & E. Oblewski

October 28, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 2

Entertainment

Cave’s truth drives listeners in search of light On Friday, the 4th of October, the underground band Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds released their new double album Ghosteen. As most average teenagers have been imprisoned by the treacherous main stream of pop, you may not know Nick Cave. However, you may know him in my black ink, comic drawn fashion (or because you’ve met me and have noticed that he comes up in every single conversation I have). If you’re still not familiar with him, Cave is a jack of all trades, establishing his role as an Australian musician, author, director, and occasional actor. I highly suggest listening to Cave and his band’s music because their songs are filled with beautiful lyrics and each record is poetic and about love, murder, and sadness - expectations to which Ghosteen is no exception. The album is jam-packed with wonderful, light lyrics of love and loss, and is extremely different than the rage filled, baritone sounds of his earlier albums, such as Let Love In, Murder Ballads and Henry’s Dream. Ghosteen is quiet, somber, and calm and shows the more emotional and gentle side of Cave. While a stark contrast to the Satanic growls of his first band The Birthday Party and the funky groove of his side project band Grinderman, Ghosteen is still a stunning album that all fans are sure to love. Just like his previous two records, titled Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree, Ghosteen features Cave lyrically opening up about his feelings and emotions, and is accompanied by bells and pianos for the music instead of guitars and drums. Filled with beautiful, mesmerizing lyrics, this album will drive listeners to tears. Perhaps a product of Cave’s family problems, or

the death of his son, each song on the record is filled to the brim with emotion. The song “Bright Horses” really expresses the emotion in this album. The song opens with the dark lyrics, “And everyone has a heart and it’s calling for something / And we’re all so sick and tired of seeing things as they are,” which expresses Cave’s view on how cruel the world can be. Life can easily wear you down and make you feel like there’s no hope for the future, which is completely valid for Cave to be feeling after the tragic death of one of his most beloved family members. However, despite this, Cave soon makes a stark and dramatic shift to calming, optimistic lyrics such as, “Oh, this world is plain to see / It doesn’t mean we can’t believe in something,” which immediately flips around listener’s feelings after hearing “Bright Horses.” Cave strengthens the notion that, yes, this world can be dark, but with a strong will to believe that things will get better, it’s not impossible to have hope. If you’re interested in a quiet, calm album filled with emotion, I highly suggest listening to Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’s new record Ghosteen. Hopefully, upcoming albums of Cave’s will be just as amazing as his previous ones and are still charged with emotion, beauty and inspiration as Ghosteen. While he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I do recommend that you listen to at least one of his albums. Tuning into Nick Cave, and maybe other non-mainstream musicians, could expose a younger audience different, tasteful music.

by Dexter Plier

Area 51 fiasco defines sticky web of social media In June 2019, a college student named By July, over a million people had Matty Roberts decided, completely as a signed up as either “Interested” or “Gojoke, to create a Facebook event pretend- ing” on the Facebook page, and the internet ing to storm Area 51. He famously stated, was abuzz with Area 51 and alien-themed “They Can’t Stop All of Us… If we Naruto memes. One couldn’t scroll halfway down run, we can move faster than their bullets. a Twitter page before being bombarded Let’s see them aliens.” He never expected with the countless jokes surrounding the that these words would become such a ral- event. As this happened, the United States lying battle cry. Air Force finally deThe event was cided to take action. A quickly noticed spokesperson from the by the mainstream Air Force reminded media, and within people to stay far away days of posting, from the base, and that everyone from Fox it was dangerous and News to CNN had illegal to attempt to reported on this get inside. Of course, supposed “civilthis only reminded ian attack” on a people just how far military base. Of the joke had gone. No course, the post one was actually planwas obviously a ning to storm the base, joke. The menphoto from Aliens Facebook page right? Even so, news tion of the phrase of special precautions “Naruto run” (in which a person runs and training drills reached the internet, like the fictional anime character Na- teaching how best to combat a Naruto runruto, with arms pointed back and head ner. You truly can’t make this stuff up, kids. down) tipped off every internet-savvy In any case, this didn’t stop the resiteen and millennial alive that nothing dents of Rachel, Nevada, the town closest about this “attack” was serious. However, to the Area 51 base, to start worrying. They that didn’t stop the media, and especially worried not just about the unwanted media the government, from taking it seriously. attention, but also what would happen when

(by this point, well over) a million people descended upon their quiet little village of 54. With no gas stations or grocery stores, and only 184 hotel rooms in the entire county, where would all these people even sleep? Their concerns only mounted when another event was announced, “Alienstock,” a music festival parodying the iconic 1969 music festival Woodstock. The event, organized by Matty Roberts, Frank DiMaggio, and Connie West, was created as a distraction from the raid to give something else for these (now two million) people to do instead of illegally break into a highly secured government base. Roberts and DiMaggio, the original creators of the meme, withdrew their support after concerns over a lack of food, water, and safety for the event. Ironically, the original Woodstock faced these same problems, but still drew a crowd of over one million people. A third event by a separate group was also planned, although this was less of a music festival and more of a gathering of conspiracy theorists, called “Basecamp” and held in Hiko, Nevada. This event had significantly more funding than Alienstock and was better planned, with food and porta-potties available. As the morning of September 20th dawned, the scene was far from the epic battle envisioned by the viral memes online. About 1,500 people showed up to Alienstock, and only a mere 150 traveled through the desert to be within sight of the base. A scant 75 approached the gate, and only one got

inside. That one brave soul was let off with a warning, and only three of those 75 people were arrested, one of them for, of all things, public urination. Reports and photos from the gathering show people standing around, generally talking and looking awkwardly at the guards. Some people brought signs and protested for “alien rights.” One witness reports that there was occasional chanting of the phrase “clap dem alien cheeks” but overall no real violent actions were taken. However, one courageous young man actually did Naruto run behind a recording TV camera, and became the most viral part of the event within hours of his run airing on TV. He spoke to reporters, and prefers to be identified only as “Elixir.” So, what ultimately came of the event? What can we learn from this? Well, in my opinion, the Area 51 raid speaks to the power of community and the internet as a whole. The entire idea was so ridiculous and far-fetched from the start that everyone involved knew that it would never really happen… and they embraced that. No one who showed up to that gate on September 20th thought they were actually going to Naruto run past the guards and find out where the government was hiding genetically engineered cat-girls. They showed up to that gate because they wanted to be a part of something - aliens or not. It started as a simple meme and grew into a movement of people that thought, “what if we could actually make something of this?” What could’ve been a bloody massacre at the hands of the US Air Force instead became a (rather crappy) music festival and a (rather small) gathering of like-minded people, and if you ask me, that’s beautiful.

by Bailey Staerkel

Entertainment

Volume 116, Issue 2

Forgotten phantasms beckon for Halloween streaming

From haunted houses to pumpkin ing them entertained throughout the film. carving, there are plenty of ways to get C h i ld r e n i n d ist r e s s obv iou sly into the spirit this Halloween season. Even strike a chord with audiences as Mama, though they may not be for everyone, released in 2013, follows two orphaned horror movies provide one of the best ways to celebrate this spooky time of year. Between the classics and more modern films, there is an abundance of impressive horror movies that will scare your socks off. While there are plenty of horror movies released every year, not many become very popular or mainstream. Here are four underrated horror movies that are guaranteed to be just as scary and entertaining as current blockbusters. Set in the early 20th century, The Woman in Black follows Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a young, widowed lawyer, who travels to a remote village in order to put a photo from The Woman In Black Facebook page deceased woman’s affairs in order, leaving his young son with a nanny. Once arrived, Kipps notices that the town seems on edge at any mention girls who were found in a secluded cabin of the Eel Marsh house, the estate of his by a search party. Having been missing deceased client where he will be work- since the deaths of their parents five years ing. While there, strange events begin to previously, the children are feral and occur and Kipps realizes that by traveling animalistic, often mentioning ‘Mama,’ the to the secluded house, he has awoken the mysterious mother-figure who protected vengeful spirit of a woman who is tor- them while they were hidden from the rest menting the town’s residents. From the of the world. The girls’ uncle Lucas and his appearance of ghosts to objects moving girlfriend, Annabel, receive custody of the on their own, The Woman in Black con- children and attempt to help them adapt to tains many classic jump-scares that may regular life once again. Though everything be predictable to some, but the plethora should be fine, the girls continue to talk to of creepy vintage toys throughout the film Mama and strange things begin to happen make up for its lack of originality. The around the house. Similar to The Woman entire film has a mood that is stiff and cold, in Black, this film has numerous jumpnever allowing viewers to feel anything scares and a terrifying atmosphere that but suspense. While the acting of many of will keep you on the edge of your seat. the townsfolk isn’t the greatest, Radcliffe While the children are fantastic actresses provides a fantastic and believable por- and present bone-chilling acts throughtrayal, enthralling the audience and keep- out, the antagonist, Mama, is horrifying

and seeing her is guaranteed to transform Last, but most definitely not least, your spine to a quivering bowl of pudding. Hush follows Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), Also released in 2013, Oculus begins a deaf writer living in a secluded area who after Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) is must fight for her life when a psychotic released from the psychiatric hospital killer shows up with an unwavering dehe has inhabited for 11 years after being termination to murder her. The film seems charged for the murders of his parents. In simplistic, featuring only one setting and a an attempt to rebuild their relationship, his cast of five people, but it’s just as terrifying sister, Kaylie and suspenseful as the ( K a r e n G i lothers. However, Hush lan), contacts isn’t a supernatural film him and tries containing spooky creato connect tures and mind-bending with him, illusions - it’s realistic but she has and depicts a situation something that could actually hapelse in mind as pen, which may be even well. Strongly more terrifying than the believing that former. Like other movthe antique ies featuring murderers, m i r ror f rom the film contains enough thei r childblood and gore to make hood home anyone cringe at the was the cause sight of the wounds inof the insanity flicted on the characters. and deaths of As for the actors, John their parents, Gallagher Jr., who plays Kaylie f inds the unnamed killer, does the mirror and a fantastic job at playing brings it back photo from the Mama Facebook page a cold-blooded psychoto their childpath, while Siegel is hood home in equally as fantastic at attempt to prove once and for all that her silently acting and using facial expressions brother is innocent. The film shifts back that evoke sympathy from the audience. and forth between the past and present, These few titles prove that fame does showing the parallels between their child- not connote excellence. Audiences can hood and current lives in an artistic way expect the gory clowns and eerie ghosts, that is full of plot twists that will keep but the underrated twisted psychological audiences guessing. Similar to the previ- thrillers strike a different chord within ous two films, Oculus relies heavily on viewers. All of these movies are hidpsychological horror as the mirror plays den gems within the horror genre, and unsettling and mind-bending tricks on the should def initely fall on ever yone’s characters, but this film features quite a to-watch list this Halloween season. bit more blood and gore than the others by Caitlynn Gehl and is not for those who are squeamish.

Mario’s transition to small screen stuck in neutral The long-awaited iOS compatible Mario Kart Tour made its first appearance last month and took mobile platforms by storm... at least, for 30 seconds or so. The game surprised many people due to the fact that it was the first time that gaming company Nintendo has released a game on mobile platforms, aside from the Nintendo DS and Switch. Despite the initial hype and excitement the game accumulated, Mario Kart Tour seems to have now fallen into the cobweb category of the mobile game catacombs. This is partly due to the lackluster controls, graphics, and overall content. Even though this game was a blockbuster for a week, most people have moved on. As a whole, Mario Kart Tour made a big impact in many ways. Before the game was released, the only way to play Mario Kart mobily was on a Nintendo Switch and other portable Nintendo devices. But now, with the release of this game, users are able to enjoy the Mario Kart experience on the go, without the purchase of a Nintendo device. The game updates itself every two weeks, creating a new “tour” that features different maps and characters that players can unlock. This idea of “renewable content” isn’t a new concept in mobile gaming world. Games like C.A.T.S., Clash Royale, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang all have weekly competitions and events, and Mario Kart Tour is just another project thrown into the dark vault of boring, worn out video games. The actual game content wasn’t as abundant as most fans anticipated. In other Mario Kart games, such as the beloved Wii version and the Switch-compatible Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the program con-

tained much more content in terms of races One of the biggest downfalls of the game and kart customizing. When playing the seems to be the lack of content, however console versions, users had options to there is still hope for Mario Kart lovers. augment more of their game play experiThe picture and graphics of the newer ence. In terms of the overall entertain- Mario Kart Tour are slightly better than ment value, the game scores pretty low. its older versions on consoles, as Tour is Between Mario Kart Tour and Mario more fine-tuned and smoother compared Kart 8 Deluxe, there are differences that to the Deluxe version on Nintendo Switch, would favor the Nintendo Switch and Wii which seems rough and more pixilated. U versions of this game. Because of the The graphics, when examined closely, limited space on have improved, but not a mobile screen, enough to make a huge it limits the full difference in appearance capabilities of or game play. The game controls. On the menus have also been Switch, Mario updated to fit the mobile Kart 8 worked experience and make wo n d e r s w it h browsing easier for usits available ers. The game’s home cont rols and screen provides naviupgrade options. gation tools that bring But in terms of a player to different the iOS Mario areas such as the shop, Kart Tour, the challenges, characters, game falls short karts, and glider. Graphphoto from the Mario Kart Tour Facebook page in this important ics are a crucial part of control aspect. On the Switch, players any game, and the ones that belong to the have 32 different tracks to choose from, new Mario Kart game are perhaps the only and plenty more modifications to karts, thing that lived up to fans expectations. gliders, and overall character appearance. Along with other downfalls, the conHowever, on Mario Kart Tour user’s op- trols implemented in Mario Kart Tour tions are much more limited. Tour uses a propose challenges to other game play. system where a player only chooses the Steering is controlled by dragging a finger driver, kart, and glider that will provide across the screen, while an item is activated the most points and bonus rewards which by tapping or swiping to determine which are used to advance in the game. Another direction the player wants it to go. If one is important factor in the success of Mario turning a corner and wants to use an item at Kart 8 Deluxe was the players’ ability to the same time, the tapping of using the item play against each other in head-to-head can confuse the coding of the game. This races; a feature fans once didn’t see in Tour. causes it to think one is steering, ultimately

resulting in the player losing control. This inability to compensate for multiple touches at one time makes the game simply difficult to play. Though there is the option of motion control, it is virtually hidden in the settings and not many people know about this feature. During the introduction, the game only asks which type of control one would like to use for steering: drift, or standard. If the game would make motion steering an obvious option, the controls would be much easier and might keep users interested. However, the game’s lack of easier control options makes it less enjoyable than other Mario Kart games. Since the release, Mario Kart Tour has let Nintendo fans down. When examining the game as a whole, it will always work better on the console platform. Overall, the only real improvement to the game has been graphics, and even those weren’t very noticeable. While many people were happy to finally have a Nintendo game available on their phones, it didn’t live up the original Mario Kart standards and experience. Despite excelling in graphics, Mario Kart Tour falls flat in terms of character design, controls, and overall enjoyment, making for a lackluster addition to Nintendo’s cluster of games.

by Zach Eaton

October 28, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 2

Features

Culture of school spirit fades in glare of apathy It isn’t hard to walk around West commitment and stress of the school day. “Another theory is that kids are just and find someone saying that they hate school. Negative feelings towards new burned out when it comes to school,” policies, staff, and school in general fuse he said. “In the last 15 years, there has together, leaving precious little room for been a huge academic push with comschool pride. English teacher Michelle mon core standards, which could be takHuettl points out a key factor in deter- ing the focus away from school pride.” At the end of the day, Heller undermining the level of each school’s spirit. “It depends on the high school,” she stands that students are involved with jobs, said. “At my high school, the traditional sports, music, and other extracurriculars and can things like see how homecomschool i ng week s p i r i t were a would be big deal. I pushed to think size the botis a big tom, in part of it, lig ht of and I think every oththat diser comconnected m it m e nt . feeling “Eican spread ther way, quickly in I see kids a school this size.” photo by Pyper Rouse that have m a n y J u - At the pep rally, seniors show off their school pride while hoisting a trophy n i o r , proudly in the air. The award was given to the class who gained the most points things on their plate G a v i n by participating during the week. for one Elmergreen has some other ideas about what reason or another,” he said. “In their long m ig ht be put t i ng a divide bet ween list of daily priorities, I do not think that takst udents and pr ide for their school. ing pride in being a Wildcat is very high.” Just as teachers see what leads to the “A barrier to pride is probably the fact that it’s a school, it has rules, and it’s natu- loss of school pride over the years, they see rally not going to be a fun thing for kids,” he solutions too. While there isn’t much they said. “We don’t get paid to be here, yet it is can do about the standards they are forced legally required to come. How are we sup- to follow, the simpler issue of students posed to be proud of something we person- feeling that it is uncool to participate in ally have not done with our own free will?” school events has a much easier solution. “I guess it would need to start small,” Providing fun experiences for students in a learning environment seems to be Heller said. “If one student is proud of a something West administration has been group they are in, it would be great if he or experimenting with lately. Between opting she had the courage to express that pride. out of finals (for juniors) and even class That will make it easier to express that rewards for improving attendance, they pride again in the future, plus it would give are trying to find different ways to get kids their peers permission to do the same.” Similarly, Huettl agrees that the reinvolved and excited about school, but Elmergreen would still like to see more. sponsibility of increasing school pride falls “Longer lu nch per iods on some on the shoulders of everyone here. The only days would make a lot of people much people who can make others feel connected more happy with the school,” he said. are those who feel connected themselves, English teacher Aaron Heller argues and this is a good realization to make. “I think that the best and really that it goes beyond students just feeling that school spirit is uncool or wanting ex- only way to improve school pride is to tra incentives. It comes down to the time make sure that most students or as many

students as possible feel connected and bet ter place together,” Meyer said. feel a sense of belonging,” she said. Meyer has seen how the country has In order for students and staff changed and school in general has definiteto feel more i ncluded , it need s ly followed the same path. She finds that t o s t a r t w it h n o t b r u s h i n g ove r the reason why kids may have feelings of t he act ivit ies t hat ca n show spi r it. embarrassment or shame in participating in “By accepting things that demon- school events is because of the environment strate school pride more, we can encour- around school fostering these thoughts. age a greater sense of unity,” Huettl said. “It’s a culture thing,” she said. “They Doing small activities, such as how the feel that way because as a school culture choir classes learned the school fight song, we’ve allowed them to feel that way, can go a long way to improving school which is awful. We shouldn’t be picking pride. Choir teacher Bethany Meyer ex- on people for wanting to participate in the plains what she is doing in her classes to fun things that we are doing in our school.” help her students feel pride for their school. Meyer feels that students seem to have “For me, it is just talking positively, a lack of interest in everything, and only a encouraging students to go to other events small amount of students care enough to and be supportive of other peers,” she get involved, while the rest just go through said. “If we start with a smaller group in the motions. She feels that when students the school maybe it will affect others.” aren’t invested it just makes it that much Another way for teachers to help harder for them to take any pride in the get students involved is by setting chal- school, but when you find a group or activlenges or class goals. These things are ity you love at the school, finding a sense more likely to increase school pride, and of school pride becomes that much easier. in the end students end up enjoying it and “To that person I would say you need even encourage others to participate too. to find your place,” she said. “You need “We will to find people grow up to be who are likep e o pl e w h o minded to you, supp or t a nd and hopefully believe in that will be a other people,” positive friend Meye r s a id . group for you.” “School pride Getting gives us involved is one something to of t h e m a i n stand behind. ways students Even though s h ow s c h o ol you r v iews pr ide. Meyer photo by Morgan Boyce re al i z e s t h at may not be the sa me a s ev- A few students bundle together for the football game on October 3. it can be hard, eryone else’s Although the turnout was lacking compared to other games, those especially i n who showed up were still able to enjoy the time cheering for their we are all h ig h school fellow Wildcats. here together for people and that’s one to try something that might be out of thing you have in common, and we can their comfor t zone, but she still enbe supportive of everyone because of that. courages students to go for it anyway. Meyer’s outlook is that the les“It’s about not worrying about what sons students learn from having school other people think of you, and that’s easier p r id e s u ch a s s u p p or t i ng f r ie nd s , said than done, which I get,” she said. “But conf idence, and com mu nication are you just have to be kind of unapologetiall skills that will help you through- cally you and if everybody starts to have out life, not just until graduation day. more of a positive attitude, you might be “If we ca n st a nd beh i nd some - able to change something for the better.” thing together now, when you become by Ainsley Moore adults you can try to make the world a

Features

Volume 116, Issue 2

October 28, 2019

Haitian visitors leverage visit to lessons of understanding

From the drumbeat of an orphan to to coordinate the logistics and details of the comforts.” of Nathan’s favorite aspects of his visit, as the swing of a penniless boy, Bill Nathan day Nathan and Cangas come. He enjoys To get a glimpse of some challenges well as being able to show the students the and Walnes Cangas have forsaken luxury seeing the reactions of the crowd. that Haitians face each day, students are difference they are making in Haiti. and wealth to provide a hopeful future “My favorite part about coming here is “My favorite part was watching the invited to walk across a path of rocks set for children in Haiti. Their goal for a visit expression on the faces of my freshman up on stage in the Little Theater to simulate the opportunity to share with them our culto West on September 27 was to expose students,” he said. “Seeing them engage the much longer journey families have to ture and the impact that we are making in students of Global Academy to the truth with Bill and Walnes through dance, song, take so often to get water. Through this, so many lives of the children and families about Haiti, beyond its connotation as a and activities. Also, them seeing the con- Pizon’s eyes were opened to the hardships in Haiti,” he said. poverty-ridden, naturalCangas also appreciates the openmany Haitians face, but she also realdisaster prone country. ized the optimistic attitude they are mindedness of students while they are “Whenever Haiti apintroducing them to the dances, and other able to keep throughout everything. pears on the news, it is “I learned that although certain tales about Haiti that they may not have when something bad is events in their society may be less than known before. happening, you know?” “I really like how when we come here ideal, they still have a positive outlook Cangas said. “A disaster and always have a smile on their face,” the students embrace what we do and we or riot or whatever. But, technically bring Haiti to them,” he said. she said. we are here to let people For Cangas, one of the reasons why “It’s very fascinating to see them and the here in Oshkosh know he has this outlook is because he finds impact it makes on them and how they that there is a lot of good the Haitian culture very rich, and full respond to that in a positive way.” going on in Haiti. The It is also inspiring for Nathan to see of life. people there are wonder“The music is so lively especially,” how everyone wants to be involved, whethful and Haiti is beautiful.” he said. “Bill is a drummer and I am a er it be physically trying out the dances or photo by Kailey Freund Laurie Stevens, Asdancer and we come here and perform activities, to also attentively listening to sociate Director of Ad- To simulate the walk many Haitians have to take each day to retrieve water for and it’s to show people the goodness the first-hand stories. He knows the diftheir family, Stevens and Boehme helped to set up a 10 foot rocky path on which missions at the University students could walk barefoot across while carrying a bucket of rocks on their ference having an awareness about other that is over there.” of Wisconsin Oshkosh, heads. Through this, the hardships that many Haitians face were made more real Wesenberg appreciates the talent cultures can have on students. became involved with to the students. “I think it is important for students that Nathan and Cangas display when Haiti many years ago nections between the sympathy that exists they show the students the different dances to learn about other cultures because, so through her mother. Since then, she has for most of the people in Haiti.” and drum beats. It is exciting for them to often, you think where you are is the only worked with Bill Nathan and Walnes CanThe students enjoy when the Haitian take in the energy that comes from their place that exists, but there is much more in gas to bring students in Global Academy a men come and present about their lives, music, especially when students are given the world,” he said. wonderful experience each year. Marriane Boehme, Chairperson of the because they are able to see first hand how the opportunity to try out a few of the “Helping coordinate their visit and be- their contributions affect the lives of those moves. Haiti Outreach of Saint Frances Cabrini ing a part of their time at West is one way in Haiti. Last year, the students were able “I really liked when Walnes danced Parish, works close with Nathan and CanI can try to make some kind of difference to contribute to new wells being built, and and Bill did the drumming because they gas through the ministry, and agrees with in the lives of others,” she said. “Watching, were excited to learn about how they could are really good at it and it shows their cul- Nathan’s ideology. Her goal for the presenabsorbing and being a part of it all is a gift continue to help. ture and what they used to do as kids,” tation is that it would empower students in I treasure.” “The biggest takeaway would be the Wesenberg said. “Bill used to be a child their future endeavors. One of Cangas’s favorite parts about cultural exchange that happens between slave, and he has a lot of passion when he is “I hope they take away three things,” the trip is simply looking around and ob- our students and the guys from Haiti,” drumming and when they are dancing and she said. “Dream big. Invest in people serving all the different aspects of Ameri- Schinker said. “Because we have been because can culture. if you do working together for as long as we have, “Coming to the U.S. is just wonderful we’ve seen what has happened with the orthis it will to me because the way things are here,” phanage, and how our students have helped h el p yo u he said. “There is a lot we can take back contribute to it being more efficiently run, with your and talk to our Haitian leaders about, and and I think that’s really cool.” dream. We that way, they can implement it in our own can all pay Schinker’s goal is to help the students country.” it forward in Global Academy feel like they have a In Haiti, Nathan and Cangas enjoy part in helping out in Haiti. They do this a nd eve n hosting American guests in their guest by raising money in each of the levels. if it is house. Laurie Stevens had the opportu- Each year when Cangas and Nathan visit, not with nity to visit them with her daughter, Kara students like junior Sage Wesenberg are money, we photo by Kailey Freund can do it Stevens. Upon returning from the trip, able to see the fruit of their contributions. Kara Stevens was asked by Jeff Schinker, “I learned how our donations, even Several boys from the Level 2 Academy and Area Studies of Wisconsin classes embrace the with other a World Cultures teacher at the time, to though they may be small, can impact traditional dances of Haiti along with Schinker. Nathan and Cangas made sure the students things.” present her experience to the class. Lauthem so greatly,” she said. “They use the were fully exposed to many aspects of Haitian culture. “I had never been in a place with so shelter they built for a meeting place, a rie Stevens much poverty - where not all people had place for everyone to go, a place for people I really like to watch that.” supports and will continue to support this food, running water, electricity, education, to worship God, and it’s so cool that it’s When Bill talks about his back- event because she believes that it is so benor access to health care,” she said. “At the something we contributed to.” ground, it exposes students to the reality eficial for students to break away from the same time, I had never seen a population of One of the main messages that Global of life in Haiti. It seems more real to hear it typical textbook learning style. She has expeople so truly happy, vibrant, welcoming, Academy reiterates to every level is the from someone who has been through tough perienced first hand how impactful Nathan and generous.” importance of being globally aware and times themselves, than to simply watch a and Cangas’ stories are and believes that Kara Stevens learned so much while having a perspective beyond what they video. they are truly inspirational and empowervisiting Haiti, which has inspired her to read in their books and online. The op“Obviously we know that in other ing to anyone willing to listen. share with others. She recognizes how portunity to have a cultural interaction that countries there are hard things going on, “What I love about Bill and Walnes is important it is for West to host events such also relates to what they have been learning but when you hear about it from someone their open hearts and minds,” she said. “I as this, because it allows the students to in class was something that was very excit- who has experienced it first hand, its differ- love how they take people they meet and experience a part of other cultures. ent than just reading it out of a textbook,” interact with a new level of understanding ing for the students. “The bond formed between Bill and and empathy to enhance individual lives.” “Having actual people come is a Wesenberg said. Walnes and Oshkosh West is very special,” whole different experience than watching The participation of the day is also one by K. Ambati and A. Eaton she said. “I can’t even put into words what a video,” Wesenberg said. “We could have Haiti taught me, and that is something you just had Bill and Walnes’ video, but when can only experience first hand, by studying they actually come here it’s a lot different. abroad or visiting a country.” We got to ask them questions, which I reGlobal Academy strives to present ally liked.” students with hands on experiences, which Nathan and Cangas informed the stuhas proven to be very effective in their dents about what is going on in Haiti, with studies. outreach and daily life. By showing them “My short time spent in Haiti taught how different it is in Haiti, students like me more than any textbook or lecture ever freshman Sarah Pizon stop and evaluate could!” Kara Stevens said. “Even though their own lives. fvtc.edu/NEXT I traveled there five years ago, I still think “My favorite part of the day was when admissionsspecialist@fvtc.edu about that trip constantly.” the visitors told us about their experiences 920-735-4740 Since then, social studies teacher Jeff living in Haiti,” she said. “I was able to Schinker has worked with Laurie Stevens compare their way of life to my selfish

Take the Next Step!

October 28, 2019

Features

Volume 116, Issue 2

Hollywood homecoming memories captured in time

Sophomores pose after an exhilarating game of powder-puff football during lunch. The class of 2022 came in second place after the long competition.

Varsity football boys hoist senior Nate Carlin into the air after their exciting dance. Their collaboration with the Dance Team is always a highlight of the pep rally events.

Sophomores Jake Starkel and Ashlyn Grota hype up the crowd with their smooth dance moves. The duo took home the prize in the lip-sync battle.

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H O C O Junior Lukas Xiong spikes the volleyball over the net during the Iron-Man tournament. For some students, the activities during lunch are what make homecoming week memorable due to the team bonding during the competitions.

Senior Jessa Nemeth performs a jaw-dropping flip over the the gym floor during the pep rally, wrapping up the homecoming week. The dance team, which consists of 21 members, learned the routine in only two days.

Senior Bennett Whiteley jumps into the splits as the varsity football team takes on dance duties during the pep rally. The team practicee an upbeat routine to music from the 2010 era.

Senior Callista Rochon-Baker reaches for a catch as teammates rush to support. The senior team landed in first for the powderpuff football tournament, a huge hurrah for the upperclassmen.

The Oshkosh Twirl Team dances to upbeat music while tossing their batons. The team travels around the Fox Valley to perform at various events, and was also featured at the homecoming game Friday night.

photos by Pyper Rouse